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Last week (mid-May), UPS announced that it had expanded the number of countries that are available to its US customers using the company’s Saturday pick-up export shipment service.

An additional 122 countries that are to be found across the world have been added to the pre-existing 57-nation coverage.

Twenty new markets in Europe have been added, 28 in the Americas, two in the Asia Pacific region and 72 across the Middle East and Africa.

“We are expanding our Saturday export pick-up service to now reach 179 markets and we think it will help inspire smaller customers looking to chase opportunities across borders,” remarked Nando Cesarone, president of UPS International.

“Small and medium[-sized] businesses account for 98% of all exporting companies in the US. But only 1% of all businesses in the US are exporting

“Just imagining the many opportunities out there for companies isn’t enough if you want to grow. That’s why we’re tripling the number of high-growth international markets that growth-minded companies can export to on a Saturday.

“An extra pick-up day for businesses – especially the smaller ones – seeking to expand their customer base is another way to show that selling across borders can be as straightforward as shipping at home.”

The Saturday export pick-up service benefits US businesses that want to ship exports six days a week or need to quickly fulfil weekend orders.

Additionally, industries with a global customer base – ranging from automotive and high-tech to healthcare – stand to benefit from the additional operating day.

It enables them to add a sixth day to ship internationally, providing an opportunity to turn inventory faster, utilise space more efficiently, and increase productivity, UPS noted.